The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that cookware is a type of food preparation container, commonly found in a kitchen. Cookware comprises cooking vessels, such as saucepans and frying pans, intended for use on a stove or range cooktop.
It is known in the art that stainless steel cookware often does not heat evenly over the entire cooking surface. The areas of the stainless steel surface in direct contact with the heat source become hotter than the areas of the stainless steel surface not in direct contact with the heat source. As a result, food items are not heated and cooked evenly and can burn.
It is known in the art to make perforations in a stainless steel plate to allow the aluminum, which is a good thermal conductor, to be flush with the surface of the stainless steel, whose electromagnetic properties favor induction heating. The vapors from the cooking food can also vent through the perforations.
Typically, aluminum is a good material for the warming tray because of its relative light weight and high coefficient of thermal conductivity. In recent times, however, aluminum has fallen into disfavor for use as a food contacting surface in the commercial food preparation industry. However, even with these properties, after a duration, the food inside the aluminum cookware cools if not kept under a heat source.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.